Another stitched-up ALMO vote just in time for the upgrading of housing (i.e. mortgagee home 'ownership') to Top Government Priority! (For those of you who've just joined us, an ALMO is the pre-privatization of council estates palmed off either by Brezhnevite 'voting', as here in Lambeth, or by simple decree, as in Hackney, on tenants who stubbornly fail to volunteer for transfer to the private sector.) In this case the miraculous 51% majority was delivered by excluding 'spoiled' answers to questions like:
"Are you aware that the ALMO could attract over £200m of additional
investment to make homes decent in Lambeth?"
[see end of document for full ballot paper text]
But the wording also draws attention to another staggering fact which seems not to have drawn any criticism so far (least of all from Defend Council Housing's Labour backbenchers, clergy and union leaders). Voting on council estate privatization is closed to the countless people on housing waiting lists, those offered 'registered social' landlords as the only alternative to a lifetime on the waiting list, and those who need sub-market shelter but are simply ineligible for bureaucratic reasons (immigration, undeclarable income sources etc). On the other hand, the voting was open to existing tenants and to LEASEHOLDERS! That's right, LEASEHOLDERS, people who either bought their own council flats under Thatcher's scheme, or could afford to buy them when the ex-tenants sold them on at market rates later.
DCH campaigned energetically against all this, but don't expect this broad socialdemocratic church to work out any time soon that there isn't some mistake: this, (wholesale fraud, the creeping return of property-qualification suffrage etc) really is 'what democracy looks like'.
Defend Council Housing News Release
Friday 20 July 2007 – immediate release
Defend Council Housing to challenge Lambeth Council ALMO ballot result
Defend Council Housing has reacted angrily to news that the Lambeth Council
has declared a victory in the ballot on the future of the borough’s housing
stock.
The council claims support for setting up an arms length management
organisation (ALMO). But according to the council’s own figures only a
minority of those voting (3,518 out of 8,385 valid returned papers) said
“Yes” to the ALMO (see results below).
The vote comes as Gordon Brown has promised a new future for council housing
allowing local authorities to build new council homes. But the Prime
Minister has not yet addressed in detail one of the key issues of allowing
existing council tenants an alternative to privatisation. This is known as
the ‘Fourth Option’ and was supported by the last three Labour Party
conferences as well as a broad based alliance of council tenants, trade
unionists, councillors and MPs
The very real threat of two-stage privatisation by ALMO is today underlined
by Inside Housing magazine. Their front-age lead article “Transfers attract
ALMO interest” explains that several existing ALMOs are looking to sell off
their homes. This is why many Lambeth tenants voted No to the council’s ALMO
proposal and are backing the demand for the ‘Fourth Option’.
Yvette Cooper's office at the Ministry for Housing has advised:
"...a council has to provide clear evidence that it has fully consulted
those residents affected by the proposals and can demonstrate an informed
balance of support for the ALMO” (letter to Boundary Estate Tenants &
Residents Association in Tower Hamlets who are also facing an ALMO).
It is clear that Lambeth Council cannot demonstrate majority support for
their proposal.
Defend Council Housing, Lambeth Tenants Council and local MP Kate Hoey have
all criticised the ‘snap’ ballot, the leading questions on the ballot paper
(see below) and the thousands of pounds of rent payers money the council has
spent distributing expensive glossy literature and DVDs to promote the Arms
Length Management Organisation (ALMO) to tenants.
Campaigners have criticised the rushed ballot. Lambeth had initially refused
a ballot and then conceded, saying it would be conducted in September. In
fact they ran the ballot, with only one working days notice, from the third
week of June. The campaigners say that this meant few people had time to
understand the implications of the proposal. Lambeth tenants reps also say
that many tenants have complained they did not receive ballot papers.
The wording of the ballot paper has also been criticised as an exercise in
propaganda. The ballot paper, which was approved by the Electoral Reform
Society, asserts that the ALMO would improve services, and deliver millions
of pounds in investment in council properties, all matters of contention.
Despite a catalogue of undemocratic practices Lambeth Council cannot
demonstrate a majority of those voting in favour of the ALMO when the
combined No votes and ‘Don’t Know’ are greater than those saying Yes.
Alan Walter, chair of Defend Council Housing, said today:
“It is outrageous that councils can manipulate the democratic process in the
way that Lambeth is attempting to do. In no other election or consultation
would this be accepted. Council tenants expect the same democratic high
standards as everyone else – we are not second class citizens just because
we are not ‘home owners’
“We know that government intends to publish two Green Papers responding to
the demand for direct investment in council housing. Lambeth Council should
await the results and support the call from the House of Commons Council
Housing group for a moratorium on any changes until the new policy is
announced. This would give council tenants a real choice – including the
right to get improvements without the risks associated with the ALMO.”
Stephen Hack, organiser of the Defend Council Housing campaign in Lambeth
said:
“The council have seriously misled Lambeth tenants and still the result does
not give them a mandate to spend upwards to £2 million on setting up a
private company with no guarantee of getting additional finance.
“Unquestionably people need better housing conditions but there is no reason
why the government could not enable Lambeth Council to improve our homes and
estates without the risks involved with settting up a private company .
“There are many questions that need to be answered about the manner in which
the ballot was conducted and about the result itself. In spite of all the
money Lambeth Council spent on promoting the ALMO, they have failed to come
out with a clear mandate for the ALMO - there is no way this vote should be
allowed to stand.”
- Ends -
Further information on the Lambeth campaign from Steve Hack 07944 293 854
Enquiries about the national Defend Council Housing campaign, comments on
what is expected in the forthcoming Green Papers and support for the ‘Fourth
Option’ for council housing from Alan Walter 07802 176 639
Notes to Editors
1. Defend Council Housing believes that ALMOs are two-stage
privatisation of council housing. The formula was devised when tenants in
major cities made it clear they would reject privatisation in one stage via
stock transfer.
2. Inside Housing magazine “Transfers attract ALMO interest” 20 July
2007 reports that several existing ALMOs are looking to transfer (sell off)
their homes to a private landlord
http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/article/?id=1449241which
3. Tenants are now offered a bribe that if they agree to the council
setting up an arms length company then government will make available
additional money to improve their homes.
4. DCH predicted that once the new companies have completed the ‘Decent
Homes’ improvements there will be an attempt to complete the privatisation
process.
5. The National Federation of ALMOs has already promoted various
options for the future of ALMOs – including transfering a majority
shareholding into the private sector.
6. The Treasury has previously indicated (during talks about a possible
settlement to this issue in the run up to the 2004 Labour Party conference)
that it had no interest in requiring local authorities to set up the new
companies and would be prepared to offer the additional money available to
ALMOs to the local authority direct if it met the ‘good’ or ‘excellent’
performance criteria.
7. The above is one of the detailed issues being proposed by DCH as
part of the campaign for the ‘Fourth Option’ for council housing. It is
known that Ministers and senior civil servants are considering its
implications as part of the government’s housing review and two Green
Papers.
Voting results provided by Lambeth Council to Kate Hoey MP
YES
NO
TENANT
2,735
54.3%
2,301
45.7%
LEASEHOLDER
783
42.5%
1061
57.5%
TOTAL OVERALL
3,518
51%
3,362
49%
OUTTURN [sic!]
28-29% 8,385 valid[Lambeth ALMO ballot paper]
Your chance to have your say
IMPORTANT
This ballot is being conducted by Electoral Reform Services - an
organisation independent of the Council. We guarantee to keep your votes
confidential. We will not tell the Council or anyone else how you have
voted.
Please tick the appropriate box for your view on each question:
Are you aware that there are plans to create an ALMO which would manage
homes on behalf of Lambeth and improve services to residents?
YES
NO
DON'T KNOw
Are you aware that with the ALMO for Lambeth you will remain tenants and
leaseholders of the Council?
YES
NO
DON'T KNOW
Are you aware that the ALMO could attract over £200m of additional
investment to make homes decent in Lambeth
YES
NO
DON'T KNOW
Would you support setting up an ALMO for Lambeth to deliver these
improvements?
YES
NO
DON'T KNOW
YOUR VIEWS ARE STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
PLEASE RETURN YOUR COMPLETED BALLOT PAPER
